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Persia
Wars among the Greek poli were common in
the fifth century before the Common Era, but the
city-states united to defend themselves against
Persia, the most powerful empire in the world at
that time. The victorious Greeks developed a
sense of confidence that led to an era we now call
the Classical Age of Greece.
The Persian Empire conquered Ionia. Ionia is
east of the Greek peninsula in Asia Minor, land
that is now part of the modern nation of Turkey.
In 499BCE, Athens sent its army to aid an Ionian
rebellion against the Persians.
Athens used a battle formation called a
phalanx. In a phalanx, heavily armed soldiers
held overlapping shields that protected the
combatants on either side. The phalanx required
soldiers to depend on one another for their
safety, so Athenian warriors fought as a unit
instead of as individuals. The well-trained
Athenian phalanx helped repel the Persians from
Ionian land.
King Darius of Persia swore revenge on
Athens. In 490BCE, Persian ships carried about
20,000 warriors to Marathon, a flat plain twentysix miles from Athens. The Persians planned to
use Marathon as a base from which to attack, but
a spy alerted Athens. The Athenian army was
outnumbered by about two to one, but they
marched through the night to make a surprise
attack on the Persian forces at dawn. The
frightened Persians fled to their ships and
retreated from Greece.
A messenger named Pheidippides ran to
Athens without stopping to announce Athens’
surprise victory at Marathon, but the runner died
from exhaustion shortly after gasping out his
news. A modern marathon is a foot race that is
named in honor of Pheidippides’ run. Modern
marathons are exactly 26 miles, 385 yards. This
is exactly the distance Pheidippides is believed to
have run.
Ten years after the Persian retreat at
Marathon, Darius’ son, Xerxes, prepared for
another invasion of Greece. Xerxes sent about
200,000 soldiers and 800 ships to fight the
Greeks at the Battle of Salamis in 460BCE. The
Persian king watched from a mountaintop as the
Greeks managed to destroy the Persian fleet.
Xerxes was so enraged by Persia’s loss that he
beheaded the few Persian captains who were able
to escape the wrath of the Greek armies.
Athens had twice resisted the most powerful
empire in the world, but Athens was certain that
Persia would make another attempt to conquer
Greece. Athens asked all of the Greek poli to
meet on the island of Delios where the poli
formed an alliance known as the Delian League.
Each member of the Delian League contributed
soldiers, ships and money to fight the Persians.
The Delian League used its powers first to
punish the poli that supported Persia in the past.
Then, the combined forces of the league
conquered the remaining Persian territories in
Ionia. The united Greeks no longer feared the
Persians because the Greeks had enough military
power to fend off the powerful empire in the
world.
Historians call the period the followed the
Greek victories over the Persians the Classical
Age of Greece. During the classical age, artists,
poets, sculptors and architects developed a
culture that was unique to Greece. Sparta and
Athens were the two most powerful poli of the
Classical Age. Sparta was a disciplined military
power that discouraged traveling and visitors.
Athens was a port city whose merchant ships
traveled throughout the Mediterranean Sea. In
time, the rivalry between Sparta and Athens
would lead of the end of the Classical Era.
*This is a higher order learning question. You must answer the question to the best of your ability, but any reasonable
answer will be graded as correct.
Name:
Date:
Fill in the Blanks
Greece was a collection of c__t__-s__a__es known as poli that shared a common l__n__u__ge and
*r__l__g__on. The poli often fought one another, but the poli unified when Persia captured Greek-speaking citystates in Ionia. A Greek army led by A__h__ns used a military f__r__a__i__n called the p__a__a__x. In a
phalanx, heavily a__m__d soldiers held overlapping s__i__l__s. By fighting as a unit instead of as
i__d__v__d__al soldiers, the p__a__a__x was able to fend off the P__r__i__ns.
King D__r__us sent a P__r__ian fleet to Marathon to begin an i__v__s__on of Greece, but a surprise
attack from Athens forced the Persian back to their ships. Ten years later, the s__n of K______ Darius sent a
stronger force, but A__h__ns defeated the Persians in the B__t__le of S__l__m__s. Fearing another Persian
invasion, Athens asked the other poli form an a__l_a__ce called the Delian L__a__ue. The combined forced
of the D__l__an alliance made the Greek poli a powerful force. The years that followed the Greek
*v__c__o__i__s over Persia became known as the C__a__s__c__l Age. During the classical Age, a__t__s__s
and p__e__s developed a c__l__u__e that was u__i__ue to Greece.
Answer in complete sentences
*1. Why does the author suggest that Athens assisted the Ionian rebellion against Persia?
*2. Why was the phalanx the most powerful military formation of the ancient world?
3. Why are modern Marathon races exactly 26 miles, 385 yards?
*4. How did the Delian League make Greece more powerful?
*5. According to the last paragraph, explain why Athens was able to develop a powerful navy.
*This is a higher order learning question. You must answer the question to the best of your ability, but any reasonable
answer will be graded as correct.